Newsletter

Third Sunday of the Year

January 26th 2025

 

My dear parishioners,

I hope this finds you and your families safe and well after the recent very stormy weather.

 

In a recent Newsletter I mentioned that the Parish Council suggested opening a kitchen beside a school to support and further the work of Mary’s Meals. It looks as though the cost would be around £5,000 pounds and this sum would be raised throughout 2025. As your parish priest I support this suggestion as part of our Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope. Pope Francis often invites us to sow seeds of hope in our world, even if we will not be the ones to bring in the harvest.

 

In fact, as far back as 2009, our parish community funded the opening of a new kitchen beside Mzambazi Primary School in northern Malawi. In light of this new suggestion, one member of the Parish Council contacted Mary’s Meals to ask after this school. It was wonderful to learn that over 1,000 children attend the school, receive the daily Mary’s Meal and their education. Clearly, what we did in 2009 was not a hand-out but rather a hand of friendship that enables these young people to plan and build a future. This is integral to the good news of the Gospel, which has the power to help liberate those who are overwhelmed by life’s challenges.

 

Next weekend, Sarah from Mary’s Meals will visit the parish and share some information with us about the present work of this Scottish charity. It would be good to learn where the most challenging situations are in our world and then to reach out in friendship to the children living there. It costs just under £20 to provide a meal for a child for one year. Of course, for us, this is surprising given the cost of food here at home,

 

I know that many of you have favourite charities of your own and I would not like to interfere with your support of their good work, However, as part of our Jubilee Pilgrimage, would you and your family consider supporting this project to open a new kitchen in a place a great need? It would be good to speak with your family and, over some time, gather the £20 to feed a child for one year. Our sense of solidarity with the children of our world is as important as our donation.

 

A further topic raised at the Parish Council was that of befriending; it would be good to get your thoughts on this and how it may function. It could be a befriending group that would take responsibility for visiting parishioners who would appreciate a home visit, especially those who are confined to the house. A further suggestion was that of having a coffee morning on some occasions after one of the morning Masses, as a way of deepening the sense of community among us. This would be in addition to our regular Sunday morning coffee mornings, which are very much appreciated by us all.

 

The Council meets again on Wednesday February 15th and it would be good to hear what you think about these matters and others beside. Please speak with one of the Council members or write a note and place it in the box at the back of the church. Thank you for your ongoing support,

Father O’Brien

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I offer here the Schedule for the Daily Liturgy:

 

Monday January 27th: Mass at 10am

Rosary at 9.40am; confessions at 6.30pm; novena at 7pm

 

Tuesday January 28th: Mass at 10am

Rosary at 9.40am

 

Wednesday January 29th: Mass 10am

Rosary at 9.40am

 

Thursday January 30th: Requiem for Mrs. Sheena McGrail at 10am

Reception on Wednesday at 6pm

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The daily liturgy enables us to listen to the words of Jesus and to find real hope in what he says and does; the moment of Holy Communion is indeed a moment of personal encounter with Jesus. If you are free on weekdays, please consider joining us for the rosary and Mass as part of our parish pilgrimage of hope,

 

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help: a little group of parishioners meet on a Monday evening to pray this Novena for all who belong to our parish of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s, as well as their own personal petitions. The Novena consists of some beautiful prayers of intercession and thanksgiving, a moment of reflection and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, then the opportunity to receive Holy Communion; please consider making the Novena part of your Pilgrimage of Hope? You would be most welcome.

 

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the side chapel at St. Mary’s: some parishioners have asked that there be an opportunity for private prayer before the Blessed Sacrament; this Wednesday the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in the side chapel after the morning Mass until 2.30pm. It would be helpful if people would sign the sheet at the back of the church to ensure we have people present. This is a further opportunity to have some prayerful time as part of our pilgrimage of hope.

 

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Vocations Evening: the next meeting for those considering a vocation to the priesthood will take place in the Cathedral House, Motherwell on Tuesday 28th January at 7pm.

 

Ecumenical Gathering, Xavier Centre Carfin, Saturday February 1st 11am: Bishop Toal invites all interested Christians to join him to explore two questions: What does ecumenism mean to us? (Do we have any experiences to share?). In what way can we improve dialogue and partnership among denominations? Further information from [email protected]

 

Recently Deceased: Sarah (Sheena) McGrail, Jane Newlands, Peter Gilmour, Kitty Paccitti, William Fox, Joe Downey, Rena Kerr, David Denholm. 

 

Special Remembrance: Frank McBride, Campbell Esper, Barbara Jones, Ann Daly Quay, Tommy Quay, Dan Daly, James and Irene Gray, Michalina and Feliks Gulka, Anna and Franciszek Jokolowske, John Hill, Thomas McKain, Laraine Fox, Anna and Alex Darragh and all our own deceased relatives and friends and all the benefactors of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s.